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How to use silicone oil without flooding the surface

Updated: 23 October 2026

The bottle or the can is already in your hand. How to use silicone oil starts with the place, not the brand. A thin film under a treadmill belt, a light coat on a hinge, a drop on an O-ring and a few drops in a paint cup are four different actions. Too much oil on the walking surface, in the paint or down a lock is the usual mistake. Prices and the scored rows are on the [silicone oil comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/silicone-oil). We followed published guides, not a stopwatch of our own. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The bottle or the can is already in your hand. How to use silicone oil starts with the place, not the brand.

Our top picks

Abbey Abbey Silicone Gun Oil 35, 30 ml

Best overall

Abbey Abbey Silicone Gun Oil 35, 30 ml
8.8/10about £7.21
View offer
3-IN-ONE 3-IN-ONE silicone spray, 400 ml

Rank 2

3-IN-ONE 3-IN-ONE silicone spray, 400 ml
9.0/10about £9.78
View offer
Viscos-350 Viscos-350 treadmill oil, 100 ml

Rank 3

Viscos-350 Viscos-350 treadmill oil, 100 ml
9.3/10about £4.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put the film where the friction is
  2. 2.A treadmill in five moves
  3. 3.Spray, seals, and paint
  4. 4.When to stop

Put the film where the friction is

Silicone oil belongs on the surfaces that rub, in a film you can barely see, and nowhere you grip or walk. On a treadmill that is the deck under the belt, not the top you stand on. On a window it is the hinge, the runner or the rubber. On a seal it is the O-ring. In a pour it is drops in the cup. Argos tells owners to use the lubricant supplied and, when that is gone, silicone oil, lifting each side and walking the belt. Your own manual still wins if it disagrees. A squeak at the motor, a belt that walks sideways, or a bent hinge is not an oil problem.

A treadmill in five moves

Unplug the machine. Confirm the manual allows oil. Some decks are waxed or sealed and should stay dry. Viscos-350’s listing says you can apply without loosening the belt. NordicTrack’s UK guide includes loosening, and it talks about every three months or about 130 miles. Prounol’s seller blog talks about 5 to 10 ml a side and says that is not a universal number. Do not merge those methods. Work one side, then the other. A 15 cm pipette misses the middle of wider belts. Walk the belt by hand, or at the lowest speed only after you are clear. Wipe the top and the side rails. If the belt feels sticky, stop. Millilitres stay on treadmill silicone oil.
Abbey Abbey Silicone Gun Oil 35, 30 ml

Testsieger

Abbey Abbey Silicone Gun Oil 35, 30 ml
8.8/10about £7.21
View offer

Spray, seals, and paint

A spray is a short burst, then a wipe. The 3-IN-ONE how-to describes a straw or a direct spray and then wiping the excess. Reviews of the 400 ml can at £9.78 say the straw is often missing and the pattern is too wide. Mask what you do not want coated, spray less than a second, and wipe. A seal gets a drop. Abbey’s 30 ml bottle is what reviewers use on air-gun O-rings, kept off the bore and off metal working parts. Paint gets the printed count. Pébéo says 3 to 8 drops, and too much oil split or dimpled the pour. Nicpro’s bullet says one drop per 10 ml of pour paint. Mix a small cup first.

When to stop

Stop when the film is in place and the excess is on the cloth. Store the bottle upright. Reviews include leaked Viscos-350 parcels, a Lubrisolve bottle that arrived empty, and an Abbey cap that would not seal. Keep bottles away from children. Nicpro’s age line says adult. Stop and get a person, not more oil, when the belt tracks off centre, the deck is torn, or the motor housing is hot. Oil does not tension a belt. If silicone oil gets in an eye or someone swallows it, contact NHS 111. A door that still will not move after a light spray may need a window fitter.

Common questions

Do I put oil on top of the belt?
No. The film goes on the deck under the belt, then you walk the belt so it spreads. Argos describes lifting each side. Oil on the surface you stand on is a slip hazard and it picks up dust. Wipe any oil that migrates to the top or the side rails before you use the machine.
Should I unplug the treadmill?
Yes. Unplug it before you lift the belt or put an applicator underneath. You can use a very slow speed later only to spread a film you have already applied, and only when your hands and the applicator are clear. NordicTrack’s UK guide starts from the machine being safe to work on, not from oiling it while it is running.
How much is a small amount?
Less than the first squeeze you are tempted to use. Pébéo caps acrylic pours at 3 to 8 drops. A treadmill seller’s 5 to 10 ml a side is that seller’s figure, not a rule for every deck, and one Prounol review mentions about 15 to 20 ml on a walking pad. If the manual gives a volume or a picture, follow that. If the belt turns sticky, you have passed the useful amount.
How many drops go in acrylic paint?
Pébéo states a maximum of 3 to 8 drops for the amount you have mixed, and reviewers often mention 3 to 5. Nicpro states one drop per 10 ml of pour paint. More oil is what UK Pébéo reviews link to crazing, splits and dimples. Test a small cup. Cells that never appear are a mix problem, not a reason to empty the bottle.
Can I spray silicone into a lock?
A short burst, then a wipe of the face, is the limit reviewers and the brand how-to describe for hardware. The 3-IN-ONE pattern is wide, and the straw is often missing, so you will coat more than the keyway if you hold the can close and spray for a long time. If the lock still sticks, it may need a locksmith rather than a second can.

Related pages

Silicone oil buying guide

Silicone oil or silicone spray

Silicone oil

Best silicone oil on Amazon: a role for each bottle

Treadmill silicone oil: only if the manual allows it

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the figures in the listing files scored on 21 October 2026, not a live check on the day you read this.

  1. HSE, GB CLP (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Aerosol Dispensers Regulations 2009 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. NordicTrack UK, how to lubricate a treadmill (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Halfords, 3-IN-ONE Professional silicone spray hazards (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Pébéo Studio acrylics silicone oil, 45 ml (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. ECHA, polydimethylsiloxane (retrieved 21 October 2026)